25 free and cheap things for kids to do in the Triangle during summer break

POSTED BYSalem Macknee

Ready to pack up the kids and go find some summertime fun? Here’s a quick list of free and cheap things in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and beyond, to get your feet wet. Have you subscribed to Triangle on the Cheap by email? It’s the best way to stay up to date on the free and cheap goings-on. Also, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. What else should be on this list? Let us know and we might add it!

Animal Sanctuary: Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge in Pittsboro offers free tours. You need to email 48 hours in advance to schedule one: info@piedmontrefuge.org. If you’d like help out, they can always use donations of paper towels, toilet paper, fresh kale, and boxes of latex-free gloves.

Activities in the Park: North Hills Kids presents free activities for kids every Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. from June 12th to August 14th (except for July 3rd), including Dan the Animal Man, Carolina Ballet, mascots and characters and much more. The activities take place at Coastal Credit Union Midtown Park,

3D printing, robotics, virtual reality and more tech: Durham County Library’s The Maker Lab is at Northgate Mall in Durham. It holds frequent Open Maker Days where it’s free to try all the technology. It also hosts free workshops for kids and adults.

Fishing: C.A.S.T. (“Catch a Sure Thing”) is a free fishing program at Jordan Lake. Kids will learn basic fishing techniques, and equipment will be provided. It takes place every Saturday from June 2nd to October 27th, with a few exceptions.

Sky-watching: University of North Carolina’s Morehead Planetarium holds free sky-watching programs, usually at Jordan Lake, but sometimes at other locations too. Telescopes and guidance are provided. Want to look at the stars from the comfort of indoors? Morehead Planetarium & Science Center has a number of planetarium shows, and the cost is well under $10 a person. And its live science shows are free.

Museums: With free admission to so many local museums, the possibilities are endless, but the NC Museum of Natural Sciences rates high with parents and kids. Kidzu Children’s Museum in Chapel Hill also has a “Pay What You Can” day, 1-5 p.m. the first Sunday of every month. CAM Raleigh is free the first Friday of the month from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.. Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University is free every Thursday. Ackland Art Museum at UNC is always free to visit. Museum of Life + Science, in Durham, has frequently scheduled Community Days, where admission is free for Durham residents. For more details on these museums, and many more, see our list of free days at Triangle museums.

Pullen Park: Pullen Park in Raleigh does cost $1 each for the rides, but it also has several free playgrounds so you can spend hours there without a big hit to the budget.

Durham Central Park: There are great parks all over the Triangle, but Durham Central Park deserves special mention. It includes a fun, interactive playground with a boulder climb, a skate park, performance space and a number of gardens. One unique feature is Seeds’ Garden of Eatin’, a public edible garden where you can harvest rosemary, thyme, basil and more.

Outdoor concerts: Here’s a list of free outdoor concerts all over the Triangle, where you can bring a picnic or splurge on food truck cuisine.

Surprising sculpture: Visit Hillsborough’s Riverwalk and come across the amazing stickwork sculpture by Patrick Dougherty. It’s a life-size house made of sticks, with five towers surrounding a central tower through which visitors can see the sky. The artwork is called “A Sight to Behold” and it is.

Explore history in Durham: Duke Homestead is always free to visit, and once a month they hold free Family Days, specially themed events with lots of hands-on activities. It’s also free to visit Stagville State Historic Site, which is dedicated to teaching about enslaved people. Also free to visit is Bennett Place, the site of the largest troop surrender in the Civil War.

Farmer’s Markets: Also check our list of Triangle farmer’s markets; some have programs specifically for children.

Indoor playground: If it’s rainy or too hot for outdoor playgrounds, try Greystone Recreation Center on Lead Mine Road in Raleigh. It’s a free indoor playground for ages 5-12 that includes a climbing structure and a rock-climbing wall. You might want to call ahead and make sure it hasn’t been rented out for a private event: 919-996-4848

Nature programs in Wake County Parks: The Wake County Parks, including Blue Jay Point County Park, Lake Crabtree County Park and more hold frequently scheduled nature programs, many free, all cheap. Historic Yates Mill County Park, home of the last operable water-powered gristmill in Wake County, offers a particularly robust schedule, with nature, history and arts programs for kids (and adults.) They even host country dancing. See the Wake County Parks & Recreation page for a list of all county parks.

Scrap Exchange: Another rainy-or-hot-day destination that fires up creativity: the Scrap Exchange in Durham. Not free, but you can usually find low-cost bits and pieces for costumes and art projects.

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